Good News

Words cannot fully express the gratitude and appreciation I have for our wonderful family and friends! You have all rallied around our family in so many wonderful and tangible ways. The ceaseless and fervent prayers, encouraging email messages, lovely cards and flowers in abundance, gourmet meals, gift baskets filled with goodies, compassionate phone calls, cherished visits, and countless hugs have been a tremendous source of comfort. The Lord is using each one of you to sustain and encourage us during these trying days. Thank you so very much!

I must admit I still have a difficult time with the diagnosis. It doesn't seem possible I have this disease ravaging my body since I feel perfectly fine. I could understand it better if I felt awful and knew the surgery and treatment would bring quick strength and healing. But feeling healthy and full of life makes it difficult to process it all. That's especially true knowing the weeks and months ahead (if chemo is needed) may significantly lower my immune system and bring about much fatigue. But I realize I need to take one day at a time and not concern myself with the unknown. Maybe the Lord, in His kindness, will allow me to avoid the chemo treatments after all. That is my prayer. More importantly, I know that the Lord will use this to reveal Himself to me in an even greater and more powerful way.

Today I took a couple hours out of my busy school day to enjoy a lovely visit with a longtime and dear friend, Maureen, who has recently recovered from breast cancer. She was a tremendous source of encouragement as she shared the ups and downs she experienced along the way. I've also spent hours on the phone chatting with several other women who have kindly shared their stories with me. All have given me hope and are wonderful reminders that I am not alone.

The last test result on my pathology report came back and I was relieved to learn that I am HER-2 negative, which is a good thing. If I understand it correctly, HER-2 genes help control how cells grow, divide, and repair themselves. HER-2 positive tumors tend to grow and spread more rapidly than other breast cancers. So that was great to hear some good news in all of this. :-)

Thank you again, dear family and friends, for all the special ways you are ministering to us.

We love you!

Marce

For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! II Corinthians 4:17